


And the Law Says...

by hheroes



Series: In the Grand Scheme of Things [1]
Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, police detective!au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-29
Updated: 2013-11-28
Packaged: 2018-01-02 22:41:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1062513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hheroes/pseuds/hheroes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The case handed to April O'Neil and her partner, Casey Jones, is simple, until it's not. Then things get a little weird.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And the Law Says...

They have the unspoken agreement to let April drive because, firstly, Casey might be about ninety percent blind when he’s behind a wheel, and secondly, he’s one hundred percent attuned to running things over whenever the mood strikes. April, on the other hand, only runs things over when it’s truly necessary.

 

But Casey is still Casey whether or not he’s behind the wheel, and April has just really gotten good at ignoring his suggestions.

 

“Fifty points for flattening that hotdog stand.”

 

April tightens her grip on the wheel. “Fifty points for reviewing the case files like I asked you.” He rolls his eyes at her and she rolls them right back, but he takes his feet off the dashboard and picks up the too-thin manilla folder.

 

“This ain’t a lot of info,” he mumbles as he thumbs through the pages. “Did Cap’n Crunch brief you already?”

 

There isn’t really any point in getting annoyed with the too-casual nickname for their captain--and anyway, April thinks it’s kind of funny--so she gives a quick nod and reaches for the coffee in her cupholder. “It wasn’t much help, though. And don’t let Captain Morgan hear you call her that, she’d smite you.”

 

“Why didn’t it help?”

 

“She summed everything that’s in the file in ten words or less. Then she told me it’s just a casual case and shouldn’t be too difficult and retreated into her office to sacrifice virgins.”

 

“Why didn’t she take you in there then?”

 

“So help me, Casey Jones, I will turn this car around.”

 

He delves into a fit of snorts and laughter, obviously unfocused as he goes the files again. After a moment his expression sobers and he plucks one of the papers from the stack. “Timothy Nguyen, age 16, reported to see a gang of monsters about a week before any serious incident occurs. Fast forward one week, he tells his mom he’s going to the library, doesn’t pick up his phone and the next morning she reports him missing. Three months later, he still hasn’t turned up.” Casey furrows his brow, “Well that’s fuckin’ weird.”

 

“Kinda fits into the job description, Jones. If you look on the back of that I wrote down the address of the Nguyens’ apartment.”

 

He flips the paper over, frowning. “Is that where we’re headed now?”

 

“Yeah. Best place to start, I figured,” April shrugs. “And objections?”

 

Casey puts his feet back up on the dashboard. He turns to look out the window. “Just one. You totally passed a jogger--that would’a been at  _least_  seventy points.”

 

0o0

 

Mrs. Nguyen is a sad, despairing woman who looks and sounds like she’s been crying for far too long. The only thing that April hates about her job is the mess--not the ones at crime scenes, but the people left behind when shit happens to the people the love. Mrs. Nguyen is kind and she’s strong but she’s a hollowed out person, and no amount of condolences offered will ever change that.

 

April expresses all of this to Casey with a single glance. His expression mirrors her to a tee.

 

“We need to ask you some questions about your son,” April feels dirty all over when Mrs. Nguyen's eyes glaze over, but she plows on. “Do you...can you tell us exactly what happened the last time you saw your son?”

 

Her story fits with the one in Timothy’s file, until she mentions something about mutants and Casey’s curiosity is piqued.

 

“Wait, you say he believed in mutants?”

 

“Idolized them, more like,” Mrs. Nguyen reiterates. “I feel like I’m to blame for that. He was always so interested in weird phenomena like that and I thought it was harmless, so I gave him books and movies and...the first time he told me he saw mutants I- I just thought he was kidding. But then he dedicated this whole persona to them--”

 

“Please don't blame yourself for this, Mrs Nguyen. It's not your fault.” April leans forward across the table, brow furrowed. “Can you tell us more about this...persona?”

 

“The...uh, the Punisher? No that wasn’t it…” the older woman gets a far off look in her eyes. “The  _Pulverizer_ ,” she amends, “It was based off the mutants he talked about.”

 

“Can you give us a description of this...alter ego? Like, the costume he wore?”

 

Casey scribbles quickly on a scrap of paper while Mrs. Nguyen does her best to explain. By the time she’s finished, he has the vague shape of a human-sized turtle drawn out. And to make matters even weirder, Mrs. Nguyen confirms its accuracy.

 

April draws her lips into a thin line as she studies Casey’s drawing. “Fucking weird,” she mumbles under her breath, echoing his earlier sentiment, and he nods.

 

They take their leave of the hurting mother soon after, and the walk back to the car is long and silent. Casey breaks it with a slow whistle through his teeth, and he runs his hands through his hair.

 

“Maybe...maybe she’s still a little rattled. Makin’ things up, ya know? If her son designed a costume modeled off a giant turtle--”

 

They read the car, and neither of them make any attempt to get in.

 

“This city’s full of secrets,” April says at last, “but we knew that already.”

 

0o0

 

April attacks the internet that night, and she gets her printer working like crazy and keeps a highlighter sheathed between her teeth.

 

She googles everything involving “mutant” and “giant turtle” and finds so many conspiracy sites. They all sound like a load of shit, but she can’t dismiss anything. Not right now. (There’s a kid named Timothy out there who’s life is depending on her, and she thinks she can spare a few hours on the web for him, at the least.)

 

After a couple hours, her study table is covered in papers, and those papers are covered in fluorescent yellow scribbles. They don’t really add up together, but individually they have a lot to say. A few speak of a giant dog and fish on motorcycles--others mention a giant, tubby spider, and there’s an odd one that tells of a sighting that was back in the 90s. Something about a giant rat man in the sewers that shakes April to the core.

 

More than a few tell stories of giant turtles. Giant turtles in the streets, on the rooftops, with  _weapons_ , fighting businessmen. April’s lips get a little clammy, and she decides to take a break.

 

Thankfully, she always keeps a few beers chilling in her fridge, for moments when the case is just too the fuck much. She calls up Casey and explains her findings while drinking her beer.

 

“Seriously?” he says when she’s finished. “Giant turtles? Business men? For real?”

 

“For real,” she replies grimly.

 

She hears him blow air out through the gap in his teeth--the tell-tale sign that he’s getting worried. “I dunno what to say.”

 

“That makes two of us. But if you want to swing by, we can do a little more research together, try to plug in these puzzle pieces. And I’ve got beer.”

 

“I’ll be there in five.”

 

0o0

 

So the research part kind of goes to hell and April and Casey wind up on the fire escape of her apartment, drinking and being eerily quiet. They rarely stop talking, and when they do...the silence is heavy.

 

“Giant turtles,” Casey hums. Shakes his head, throws his drink back. “ _Christ_.” The bottle comes back empty, and he frowns at it sincerely. “Alright, theory time. You ready?”

 

“Hit me,” April nods. She balances her drink on the railing and looks at him expectantly.

 

“So...giant turtles are goin’ around the city, presumably armed, and they fight businessmen. No motive, no origin, just suddenly-- _bam_ , they exist and they’re causing some serious shit.” Casey’s frowns deepens, “That’s...April, we’ve been at this too long. You  _know_  that can’t be right. If we wanna find this stuff out, we gotta find an origin story.”

 

She taps her finger on her cheek and nods. “And how do you propose we do that?”

 

“You’re the idea guy,” Casey prompts. “You think of that part.”

 

She nods slowly, then scoops her bottle back up and gestures toward the door. “Back to research, then?”

 

Before he can nod, something crashes in the alley below. Someone screams and April has heard gunshots before, she knows the sound, and it echoes through her head.

 

They don’t have to exchange any words; Casey throws his bottle to the ground and sprints inside, April at his heels. He’s already out the door while she fumbles around for her gun, checks it, and holds it tight.

 

She isn’t scared, she’s done this too many times for that. She’s focused and her lips are drawn in a thin line. She’s Detective April O’Neil, her partner is already down the stairs, and she does not know what fear is.

 

By the time she busts outside, she screaming has died out, but she knows the calm before the storm won’t last long. Casey has his gun in its holster (she left hers on the couch, so she jams it into the waistline of her pants) and his footsteps fall heavy on the sidewalk to the alley.

 

The dark does not scare her. But the lifeless bodies do.

 

She forgets herself for a moment. White noise floods her head as she stares at the dead men, and she forgets who she is. But the sound of Casey’s voice revives her, and any bit of fear within her is forced into silence.

 

“Six of ‘em,” Casey grunts. He’s hunkered down next to one of the men, checking his pulse. “I-...he’s gone. No pulse.”

 

April checks the others and they’re just the same--no pulse, lifeless eyes still wide open. They’re dressed in identical suits with crips ties and wrinkle-free jackets and--

 

“ _Businessmen_ ,” she breathes, every conspiracy story flashing in her mind. Casey’s head shoots up, but he isn’t looking at her. His gaze goes past her, behind her head, and April takes a deep breath before turning around.

 

“So,” her tongue feels heavy and she’s looking into darkness, but the darkness is looking back at her, “so, I’m guessing you’re responsible for this?”

 

April doesn’t blink. Her voice doesn’t waver, and her feet stay steady.

 

After a long silence, the darkness speaks.

 

“Get out of here.”

 

April holds up her hands, palms up and friendly. “Not yet, I don’t think. We can help you, you know.”

 

“No,” the voice says, and the owner steps into the light. The giant turtle is breathing hard, holding his bleeding arm and pointing a sword at her. “No, I don’t think you can.”

 

April blinks, but her voice doesn’t waver, and her feet remain steady. She holds out her hand, slowly beckoning him towards her. This moment is unreal, it’s something out of a nightmare, but she holds herself together like a professional.

 

“You’re hurt,” she observes, and behind her Casey mumbles “ _holy shit_ ” and bumps into a trashcan. “We can help you, okay? I promise.”

 

His sword lowers--just barely. April has never seen eyes so blue and petrified, but the turtle square’s his shoulders and ignores the blood dripping between his fingers.

 

“You...promise?”

 

“You have my word,” April nods. She drops to her knees and reaches out to him again. “My name is April O’Neil, and this is my partner, Casey Jones."

 

Casey says, "Hey," like he's struggling for casual, and April quickly covers up his discomfort. 

 

"Do you have a name?"

 

He approaches her slowly, and Casey’s twitching to go for his gun, but April holds up two fingers--the sign for  _don’t do that, you fucking moron_.

 

“Leo,” the turtle says. “My name’s Leo.”

 

“What happened here tonight, Leo?”

 

On closer inspection, she realizes that Leo looks and sounds like he can’t be any more than thirteen. Guessing his exact age is a little hard, but a kid is a kid, without or without a shell.

 

He gingerly accepts her hand, and shuts his eyes when he shakes his head. “It’s...it’s kind of a long story.” The hand around his injured arm tightens, and April covers his free hand with her other one and smiles.

 

“That’s not a problem. We have all the time in the world.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> i really like AUs especially police AUs  
> whether or not i continue this remains up in the air


End file.
